A Brief History

The Fighting Arts have been around since the beginning of time. Fighting has always been a human instinct which has remained with us throughout the times. As time went on it has been technically developed, systemized to form the present Martial Arts, which can be found practically in every culture. This is what happened to the indigenous Okinawan Life-protection Art known as “Te” (Ti or Di in Okinawan dialect) meaning Hand.

“Te” resembled Okinawan folklore dance and some of its content consisted of Atemi (striking), Tuite (grab hand), and Kyusho-jutsu (vital points art), as well as Nage (throwing).

The RyuKyu's Islands are a small chain of islands located between Japan and China. The largest and most famous of these islands is Okinawa. Because of their strategic location it was a trading center for China and other Asian country. During those times Okinawa had a good relationship with China and China influences their culture, as well as their Life-protection Art.

Karate was born when there indigenous Art of “Te” (hand) was infused with Chinese Martial Arts and other Asian Arts. The Chinese forms (kata) were integrated and modified and Karate was born.

Te became regionalized when it roughly divided into three distinct forms, Shuri-Te, Naha-Te and Tomari-Te. (These were towns located around Shuri Castle.) These weren't names of styles but rather references to distinguish differences in applications, kata and philosophies. It wasn't until the late 1800's to early 1900's that karate took official names to describe or to differentiate styles.

The Kanji or Chinese ideogram for “Kara” meaning China was used out of respect for the Chinese. So Kara-te meant China Hand.

After the Meiji Restoration, Okinawa was under the rule of Japan. The Chinese ideogram for “Kara” meaning China was changed to “Kara, Ku” meaning open/vastness.

Today Karate literally means "Open hand" which refers to the physical means of hand movement and physical characteristics of the hand; which, when combined together represent human nature. That is to say, that, karate should be a natural movement – for example, just as in walking. The natural movements in Karate are typical in the old ways of karate.

Karate is often misinterpreted as empty hand. This is wrong; it’s suggesting that there is no substance, or movement in the hand.

Today there are many styles of karate. These styles, although related, differ in philosophy, and interpretation of concepts. Karate is now divided into 3 categories: Modern, Traditional, and Classical.

At Budo Quest Martial Arts the emphasis is on Classical Karate, meaning uses actual fighting philosophy developed by the warrior class. Classical karate is real karate technique used to stop opponents in actual combat, not the controlled conditions of tournament play.

Higaonna Kanryo March 10, 1853 - December 1916

Grandmaster
Higaonna Kanryo was born on March 10, 1853, in Naha, the capital of
Okinawa. His father, Kanyo, worked as a merchant sailing between the
small islands of Okinawa trading everyday goods. From a young age
Higaonna Kanryo helped his father in this work and through the hard physical
labor that was involved he developed a strong body. Higaonna Kanryo was
still in his teens when his father died suddenly.

Kanryo
decided he wanted to study the martial arts and he set his heart on traveling
to Fuzhou, China for this purpose. He arrived in Fuzhou in 1869 at the
age of 16. Once in Fuzhou he studied the Chinese martial arts under the great
Master RyuRyuKo. He remained in China under the severe instruction of his
teacher for approximately 3 years. In addition to studying empty handed arts,
he also became accomplished in weapons and Chinese medicines. Master RyuRyuKo
esteemed his student highly and sanctioned Higaonna's mastery of these arts; an
honor that is extremely rare. Such was Higaonna's skill in the arts that his
fame became wide spread. Miyagi Chojun (founder of Goju-Ryu and successor
to Higaonna) said of Higaonna, "My sensei possessed incredible strength;
the severity of the training he underwent in China is beyond comprehension....
Kanryo Sensei's speed and power were truly superhuman; his hands and feet moved
faster than lightning". Words cannot express his real ability. We can only
say that his skill was incredible, but even this fails to do him justice.

In
the year 1881, he return to Okinawa where his martial arts became known as
Naha-te. Higaonna Kanryo taught these martial arts to the people of
Okinawa and at the same time continued his own research and practice. In
order to teach the youth of Okinawa he developed a teaching method that
was specifically designed to develop the mind and body; to improve both
physical well-beings. The foundation of Goju-Ryu was established by
Grandmaster Higaonna Kanryo.

Miyagi Chojun April 25, 1888 - October 8, 1953

Miyagi Chojun was born on April 25,
1888. Miyagi began his study in Budo at the age of 12. He
first learned martial arts from Aragaki Ryuko in 1900. Ryuko Sensei
introduced the young Miyagi to the rudiments and fundamentals of Budo.
Aragaki Sensei taught him Yobi-undo, Kigu hojo undo, kihon waza, etc.
After two years training period, Aragaki Sensei introduced him
to Higaonna Kanryo Sensei. Under the tutelage of this Master, Miyagi
underwent a very long and arduous period of training learning the complex
system of Naha-te.

At the age of 14 was introduced to Higaonna Kanryo
with whom he began his study of Naha-te. Like his teacher before him,
because of his great natural talent and fierce determination, he progressed
very rapidly. The training was severe beyond belief at times but he
practiced ever harder with an enthusiasm unmatched by any of the other
students. Miyagi Chojun became "uchi deshi" (private discipline) of Higaonna
Kanryo. He studied with his teacher for 13 years before his teacher's
death in 1915. Miyagi, as successor to Naha-te pushed himself to the
limits of endurance in his desire to emulate his teacher's extraordinary skill.
In 1915 he journeyed to Fuzhou, China, the city where his teacher had studied
martial arts nearly a half decade earlier, to further his research. This
was one of three trips he made to China during his lifetime. On his
return to Okinawa he began to teach the martial arts of his home in Naha.
Later, he also taught at the Okinawan Prefecture Police Training Center, at the
Okinawan Master's Training College, and at the Naha Commercial High School
(where his teacher had once taught).

Chojun Miyagi worked hard to spread Karate throughout
Okinawa and mainland Japan, and to earn Naha-te a status equal to that of the
highly respected Japanese martial arts of Judo and Kendo. To achieve this he
traveled frequently to mainland Japan where he was invited to teach at Kyoto
University, Kansai University and Ritsumei Kan University. In 1933, Goju-Ryu
Karate was the first Okinawan martial art to be registered at the Dai
Nippon Butoku-Kai, the center for all martial arts in Japan. This was a
milestone for Karate as it meant it was recognized on a level with the highly
respected martial arts of Japan.

Higa Seiko November 8, 1898 - April 16, 1966

Higa Seiko was born in Naha
Okinawa on November 8, 1898; he began his training at the age of 13 under
Higaonaa Kanryo and remained his student until his death in 1917.
Following his teacher's death, Higa continued his training under Miyagi Chojun
of Goju-Ryu Karate, who was one of Higaonna's top students; and remained under
Miyagi until his death in 1953. After the death of Miyagi Chojun,
Higa supposedly assumed leadership as the presume head of the style.
However most of Miyagi's top students all went their own way and went on
to established dojos and organizations of their own never giving recognition to
Higa Seiko.

Many feel
that Higa should be known as the successor to Miyagi Chojun's Goju- Ryu since
he was the only one who was teaching Goju-Ryu while Miyagi was alive and since
he also trained with Miyagi's teacher Higaonna Kanryo. There has been
some controversy surrounding Higa's relationship with Grandmaster Miyagi some
say that Miyagi was unhappy with the way Higa was teaching Goju- Ryu and
expelled him from the dojo, but as a matter of fact in a document published in
1952, in an Okinawan newspaper Miyagi listed the senior's members of his group
and their titles and only Higa Seiko was listed as
"Headmaster".

Higa Seiko
was a very educated man and was employed as an elementary school teacher. He
resigned after one year and then went on to have a lengthy career as a
policeman. After ten years as a policeman Higa resigned and dedicated
himself to Karate.

Higa opened
his first dojo in 1931. In 1937 he moved to Saipan and opened another
dojo, staying for two years. Upon his return to Okinawa he started teaching
again and eventually opened a dojo in Itoman-cho, he went on to teach at
various places such as the high school Karate club and at the University.
In May of 1956 at Nagamine Shosin?s dojo (founder of Matsubayashi Ryu) nineteen
Karate teachers got together and established the Okinawa Karate-do Federation,
Higa became Vice-chairman and four years later he became Chairman.

Higa Seiko
Dojo was very popular, other master often visit and even trained there.

Higa
Seiko was the closest disciple of Master Miyagi Chojun. He attained
the Truth of Goju-Ryu karate, and he tried to preserve it. He
was mild-mannered and gentle. He was free and flexible. He was a genius
of Karate-jutsu.

Fukuchi Seiko September 4, 1919 - July 18, 1975

Fukuchi Seiko was born in Nishi
Shin-Machi in Naha Okinawa. He began Goju-Ryu Karate under the direction
of Higa Seiko, as a junior high school student. After he graduated from
high school he became a soldier and was station in Peking China. During
that time he was exposed to, and learned Chinese Kenpo, which he studied for
the duration of his tour of duty (about 3 years). Upon his release from
active duty, He continued his training with Higa Seiko in Okinawa.

He was a
diligent student of Higa Seiko and became assistant instructor at Higa dojo.

He opened his
own dojo, the senbukan (intense school of budo). In 1961 he was awarded
the title of Kyoshi. In 1968 he was appointed Director of the Old Okinawa
Goju-kai. And in 1975 he was posthumously given the title of Hanshi.

He was one of the most talented Goju-Ryu masters and
it was a great loss to Karate world that he passed away at such a young age, as
the result of a stroke.